Hiring a candidate is a long process with numerous factors to consider. If done right, it can set the company up for success many years down the line. If done poorly, a company may experience untenable levels of turnover that result in years of decline. With such high stakes, it’s no wonder that hiring strategy is a highly discussed topic in today’s job market.

Understanding Hiring Strategies 

Hiring strategies fall under roughly two categories: employer branding and candidate sourcing. One focuses on shaping how your company is perceived by potential candidates, while the other determines where and how you find talent. A well-balanced approach leverages both to attract and retain the right employees.

Hiring Through Employer Brand

The first is about changing how your company is perceived. This is done through several methods, but they all fall under the same umbrella of a company’s brand. Creating your brand is often considered highly important these days, especially for larger companies that get a ton of attention through advertisements and social media. All companies have a brand, whether it’s intentional or not. This aspect of your hiring strategy involves altering that brand to attract the type of candidate that you’re looking for. 

There are a couple of places where altering your brand is done: on your website’s career page, on your social media accounts, and even on your job postings. Everything that you publish helps build your brand, so being intentional about what candidates will find in those places goes a long way toward finding your ideal talent pool. Once you’ve identified your sources of talent, you can tweak your brand to source a specific type of candidate. If you’re looking for talent with problem-solving abilities, maybe you should start posting a weekly puzzle on your social media accounts. If you really want to hire a person with exceptional communication skills, include a blurb in the job description. If you want a candidate who’ll stick around for the long term, show them what it’s like to work at your company on your careers page. Tweaking your brand is a great way to show candidates that you understand them and you’re invested in seeing them walk through your front doors.

Candidate Sourcing

Beyond branding, sourcing candidates strategically ensures you’re tapping into the right talent pools. Employers will use numerous strategies to source talent, from employee referrals to job fairs to online advertisements. These days, websites like Indeed and LinkedIn are becoming increasingly common as the primary way to source candidates for an open position. All of these methods are effective in some way or another: the key is to identify what your goal is when hiring. For example, if you’re looking to increase camaraderie and team cohesion, sourcing candidates from employee referrals is a great option. Likewise, if your team is looking to develop talent rather than source it, posting the position to a university’s job board may be the way to go. Where you find your talent will have a large impact on the final candidate you select; be intentional about what you’re looking for when posting an open position.

Building Towards Company Goals

Affecting change in your hiring process is no small task, so understanding the reason for switching things up is crucial. This is where company goals come into play. All companies share the same general goals –remain profitable, take care of their employees, maintain a good relationship with clients– but which goal a specific company focuses on in the short term varies greatly. You can reflect on this short-term goal through the hiring process.

How To Hire Towards A Goal

Hiring towards a goal takes a deep understanding of the company’s objectives. A company’s objectives are the short-term goals that build toward the longer-term company goal. It is these objectives that should be kept in mind when hiring. For example, if you are looking to increase your gross profit you might hire extra people on the production side of the company. Likewise, if you’re looking to increase retention, you might be better off hiring support staff that can make your employee’s lives easier. Aside from the position you’re looking to fill, individual hiring decisions can just as easily align with company goals. If the company is looking for long-term success, you might prioritize a candidate with room to grow over a candidate with current industry knowledge asking for a higher starting salary. Conversely, if you’re trying to boost end-of-year numbers, bringing on someone ready to step into the role and make an impact is likely going to be more important for your company than a developing prospect.

There are many scenarios to consider when hiring the right person, from their resume to the most effective approach for building a strong team. At Premier, our 26 years of experience speaks for itself—we understand the intricacies of the hiring process. If you’re looking for exceptional candidates who will grow your company no matter the goal, we’ve got you covered. Learn more about how we can help and hire with Premier today!